Pump



March 16 1926.

R. F. 'METCALFE PUMP Filed Oct. 5, 1924 INVENTOR ATTORNEY- Patented hliiar. ltd, @2555.

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ROBERT F. METCALFE, OF BIEtOOIKLSZN,v NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 SOGONY BURNER CORPORATION, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PUMR

Application filed October 3, 1924.. Serial No. 741,302.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT F. Mnroiinrn a. citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pumps, and more particularly relates to an automatic pump for pumping fluid.

'The principal aim of this invention is to provide simple and automatic means for pumping fluid in variable amounts in accordance with the demand.

Another object of this invention is to provide an automatic pump which supplies fluid from storage in variable amounts in accordance with a variable demand, and withoutsurplus, and without requiringa return line to storage. I

Another object is to provide a simple, du-

rable and etiicient driving connection between a rotary driving means and a reciprocatingpumping member.

Another object of this invention is to pro vide a pump, continuously moving driving means therefor, and means for establishing a driving connection between the pump and drivingmeans which varies automatically in accordan e with variations in the rate or discharge demand on the pump, so that no supply is discharged by the pump until uemanded, but a substantially constant suppiy is maintained ready for discharge upon demand and irrespective of the rate of discharge, within the capacity of the pump.

A further object of this invention is to provide mechanical means adapted to transtorm rotative motion to reciprocating motion in both fixed and variable r tio of driving to driven means, and applied to a liquid pumping means, whereby there is provided variations in the pumping means directly responsive to and deteri'nined by conditions in the pumping means, said conditions being variations of pressure within the pumping means, caused by the actuating; means and a partial or full discharge of the liquid conlined within a compressed, resilient, cylinr drical, corrugated chamber.

Other objects of this invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out here inaltcr.

In accordance with this invention, the

pumping action is effected by means of a member, reciproeable in various amounts, which draws fluid into a chamber in amounts which vary with the amount of stroke. The. reciprocable member may be a resilient, corrugated, tubular member, anchored at one end, and closed at the other end, hereinafter referred to as sylphon tube, and the drawn-in fluid may be under pressure from the sylphon tube when collapsed to any extent. If desired, a check valve may be in-' stalled at the discharge outlet of the tube so that there will be no discharge due to the sylphon tube pressure, and the discharge will take place only in response to positive demand, as by outside suction. In this case the quantity of fluid in the pump chamber determines the extent to which the syl-phon tube is extended. Obviously, the less fluid there is in the pump chamber the greater extension is permitted to the sylphon tube, and vice versa.

Associated with the reciprocable pumping member are driving means for reciprocating this member in such a way that tlie rate of intake into the pump is only so much as is required to fill the pump chamber, and when there is no discharge demand, there will be no pumping action nor any overflow from the pump. The driving means may have constantly rotative motion, and this rotative motion may be transforn'ied to reciprocating motion of the driven member, such .as the rcciprocable pump member, in both fined and'variable ratio, as by means of interposing a loose ball between a cup on the reciprocable pump member and a constantly rotating cam of the driving means, the cam being fixed against lineal movement and the cup being movable lineally toward and from the cam with the reciproeable movement of the pump member in either direction. By positioning); the cup and cam vertically, the speed of reciprocation relative to the rotation of the cam is speeded up or slowed down in accordance with the rate of discharge demand, the speed being greatest when the stroke isanywhere from Zero up to a certain amount and being: slowest when the stroke goes beyond that amount and up to full stroke. T he reason for this is that when, due to a small stroke, the cam releases the ball before it reaches the top of the cup, the ball will tall back toward the bottom in direction reverse to rotation of mmtt the cam, and will thus be ready to be picked up more quickly by the approaching higher part oi the cam. While, should the ball be carried beyond the top point of the cup, as due to a longer stroke, the ball will follow the higher part of the cam to the bottom and cannot be picked up until after-the loW point of the cam has passed the ball.

A pump so driven may function topositively discharge the fluid at a rate which is variable with the size of thedischarge openor the discharge opening; may be checked and a suction line may be connected therewith so that the discharge will vary solely with variations in the suction effect. In either case, the driving means may do crate continuously, and no discharge will take place unless demanded, and then only in accordance with the demand. While at no time is there any surplus fluid requiring return to storage, nor any excess pressure built up, due to the continuous operation of the driving means or by other causes.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, arrangement of elements, and combinations of parts. which Will be more fully described hereinafter and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims that follow.

Attention is hereby directedto the accompanying drawings. fol-mine; a part of this application, and illustrating; one possible embodiment of this invention, and in whi ch Fig: 1 is a vertical sectional view of pump embodying this invention;

2 is a side View thereof; 3 is an end viewthereof; and Figs. 4, 5,.6, '2' and 8 are diagrammaticai representations or the relative positions and movements of the ball and cam in and durinc certain phases the operation of the pump. l

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughoutthe several views of the drawings.

Referring to the clravninas' a suitable casing 1 houses a svlplnrcube 2 reciprocation in pump chamber sh: 4- 'is rotatablv journaled in casing" i and extends into the tube 2 and preferably has its end 5 slidablv journaled in the cap 6 of the tube. whereby the tube is given increased steadi- Secured to c n andiencircling shaft s a member 7 which carries a cup 8. cam 9 is secured to shaft l. as by pin it), and is adapted. by frictional engagement, to revolve aball 11 placed in cup 8. The cam and cup are vertically d sposed, so that Whenever the ball is freeof the cam, it tends to drop by gravity to the lowest point of the cup. There is an inlet 1'2 to the fluid chamher of the pump and an outlet 13 therefrom.

never/ea The cam may be continuously rotated,'

and constitutes the driving means for the pump. The pumping is ettected by reciprocation ot the sylphon tube to cause its collapse, and then releasing the tube to allow it to extend by its own resiliency, or by additionaluneans, as is well understood. By the cam and ball connection between the rotating cam and the 'sylphon tube the rotative motion is converted to reciprocating motion of the sylphon tube in the manner now to be described.

It. will be apparent that every time the high part of the cam passes the ball the sylphon tube will be collapsed to full extent, unless the tube is already in such condition. is the cam surface now recedes from the ball, due to its inclination, the resiliency of the tube tends to extend the tube against the pressure of the drawn-in fluid, and Will cause discharge of the fluid unless checked by a valve or other means. vThis pressure due to the tendency of the sylphon tube to expand is the greatest pressure that is placed on the liquid in the pump chamber to discharge it through the discharge outlet. It the discharge has been sutiici-ent to allow the tube to be in fully extended position when the lovv point of the cam is at the ball. hen. continued movement of the cam will cause the tube to make a full intake stroke. However, it the discharge has not been suiticient to allow full extension of the tube when the low point of the cam reaches the ball, then the cam will contact the ball at some higher point beyond the low point. determ d by the amount the tube iuis he come e ended, and the cam will then. collapse the'tube to this extent only. v tube, due to there being no discharge, or tor any other reason, remains in fully col then the cam rotates with out causing an; movement of the tube, and there is no pumpinc action nor any irr-rcase of pressure on the fluid. l then the tube reciprocates fully, following the undulations of the earn, the ball is kept in such frictional contact with the cam that it is rolled around continuously thereby, and a fixed driving; ratio exists between the rotating cam and the reciprocating tub-e. 'lhis ratio is determined by the diameter of the ball and the distance of path of contact on the cam. example, suppose the circumference of ball is the length of its path on e cam is 16. NOW, every time the path ove's a d' nce of 4 the ball has 'tolloived a distance 0.. 2, so that the cam must rotate two complete revolutions before the ball re ill) i peats its contact with any particular point ltl on the cam. In this instance the ratio of driving means to driven means is 2 to 1,

and the ratio is fixed. If, however, due to 'estriction of the discharge opening, or decrease of suction demand, the quantity of fluid in the chamber prevents the extension of the tube in this manner, then a certain part of the low portion of the cam will pass by the ball without rotating it. Thus when the ball is carried only part-way up the cup when it is released by the cam, the ball tails bzu-lnvardly toward the bottom of the cup, and when the ball has been carried beyond the top of the cup when it is released by the cam, it will fall or slide forwardly down to the bottom of the cup following the higher point of the cam at even speed thcrc with. When the ball is released while rising it falls back toward the higher contacting point of the cam and thus is picked up thereby quickly in consequence of any extension of the sylphon tube due to discharge conditions, while, when the ball' is released by the cam on the downward side, the time of the next contact between the cam and ball, due to extension of the sylphon tube, is delayed, because the ball must first travel to the bottom of the cup at the same speed as the cam turns and then the cam must turn a further distance to take the low portion of the cam beyond the ball and until the ball is con tact'ed at a point on. the raised portion beyond the low portion. Obviously the stroke of the pump is quicker when the discharge conditions of the pump prevent sutlicient quickness and amount of expansion of the tube to allow the cam to carry the ball beyond the top of its circular path in the cup, and the stroke of the pump is comparatively slow when the discharge conditions of the pump cause sullicient expansion of the sylphon tube to cause the cam to carry the ball into the downward partof its path in the cup. "Vhenever the ball is released on the upward path there is one reciprocation ot' the sylphon tube for every revolution of the cam, while when the ball is released on the downward path, the ratio oi cam rota-- tion to sylphon tube reciprocation depends on the ratio between thesize oi the ball and the length of its path on the cam. l driving ratio obviously may be varied by varying the relative ratio between the size of the ball and the length of its path on the cam.

l or diagrammatical illustration of certain of these phases of operation, attention is directed to Figs. l, 5. t 'Z and 8 of the drawings. tiupposc the discharge conditions are such that the sylphontube is permitted only partial expansion during the time the lower portion of the cam passes the ball and before the hall is contacted by a rising point of the cant, as at (al igs. t

. his

. n'iand.

and The cam then picks up the ball at a and rotates it so that it travels upwardl in the cup (see Fig. 6), and at the same time, as before explained, causing progressive compression of the tube until the high point I of the cam engages the hall. When high point Z) passes the ball, the cam surface drops away from the ball, and unless the dischargeconditions are such as to keep the ball in frictional contact with the cup thereafter. as by permitting .t'ree expansion of the tube. the cam surface immediately draws {\Wtlf.

from the ball and leaves the ball tree to tind.

its way by gravity back toward the bottom of the cup. Now if the ball. is so released on its upward path, as atc, Fig. 7, it falls back in a direction counter to the revolution of the cam past the low portion of the cam to be picked up by the ap 'iroaching rising point do ermined by the amount of expansion of the sylphon tube permitted by discharge conditions while the ball is tree of the cam. The ball may or may not fall completely to the bottom of the cup, depending on the quickness and amount oi expansion of the sylphon tube as determined by the discharge conditions. On the other hand, if the ball is not released until it has been carried beyond the high point of the cup, as at Fig. 8, it must followthe high portion of the rain to the bottom of the cup, which it will do with even speed with the cam whenever discharge conditions fail to permit sutlieient expansion to keep the ball in rolling frictional contact with the receding cam portion. ititer the ball has followed the higher cam portion to the bottom of the cup as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, the low portions ot the caniznust pass the ball before it is again picked up on the rising portion at a point determined by the quickness and amount of expansion oi the sylphon'tube as determined 'lOO by discharge conditions during the time subsequent to the release of the ball by the cam.

Thus it will be seen thatevery stroke of the pump is variable both as to amount and speed, from full reciprocation at slow speed to no reciprocation. at all, or to comparative ly small reciprocation at high speed, and that the variation can be had :t'rom one extreme to the other, or in any intermediate amounts, instantaneously and automatically,

and that; discharge conditions govern these variations in accordance witt discharge de- The driving means may he, and preterably are,kcpt moving cor nuously at constant speed, yet no surplus rluid accuinulates and no excess pressure is built up. Consequently there is no for any outlet for surplus id or pressure. is to he that the construction above described is small, compact, and stt y, hat-ing high etliciency with small reciprocation. of the sylphontube, which i ucive to its long life, and that ween t pumped is oil,

Ltd

1. In a pump having a reciprocable pump-.

ing element adapted to alternately draw in and discharge fluld, of means for moving saidelcmcnt in one direction of reciprocation to discharge fluid from the pump, and

. tion to draw fluid into the CJI dominated by discharge conditions for determining the amount and speed of said movement, and means, including a cam and a coacting ball, for moving said pumping element in thereverse direction ofreciproca pump, whereby the pumping action of said element varies in accordance with discharge condition.

2. In a pump having a reciprocable pumping element adapted to alternately draw in and discharge fluid, of means for moving said element in one direction of reciprocation to discharge fluid from the pump, and dominated by discharge conditions for determining the amount and speed of said movement, and means, including an upright cam and a coacting ball, for moving said pumping element in the reverse direction of reciprocation to draw fluid into the pump, whereby the pumping action of said element varies .in accordance with discharge condition.

3. In a pump having a reciprocable pumping element adapted to alternately draw in and discharge fluid, of means for moving said element in one direction of reciprocation to discharge fluid from the pump, and dominated by discharge conditions for determining the amount and speed of said movement, and means, including a cam and a ball coacting with both the cam and the reciprocable member, for moving said pumping element in the reverse direction of reciprocation to draw fluid into the pump, whereby the pumping action of said element varies in accordance with discharge condition.

4. In a pump having a reciprocable pumping element adapted to alternately draw in and discharge fluid, ot meansfor moving said element in one direction of reciprocation to discharge fluid from the pump, and dominated by discharge conditions for determining the amount and speed of said movement, and means for moving said pumping element in the reverse direction of reciprocation to draw fluid into the pump, whereby the pumping action of said element varies in accordance with discharge condition, said means including a cup movable with the reciprocable member, a rotating cam, and a ball interposed between and coacting with the cup and cam.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, fluid pumping leer in both fixed and variable ratio of driving means to driven member, said connecting means being directly responsive to and governed by conditions in the pumping means, whereby the ratio of driving means to idriven memberis varied in accordance with varying conditions in the pumping means.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, fluid pumping means including a reciprocable driven member, rotating driving means therefor, and connecting means for transforming the retative motion of the driving means to reciprocating motion in the driven member in both fixed and variable ratio of v driving means to driven member, said connecting means being directly responsive to and governed by pressure conditions in the pumping means, whereby the ratio of driving means to driven member is varied in accordance with varying pressure conditions in the pumping means.

8. In an apparatus of theicharacter described, in combination, fluid pumping means including, a reciprocable driven member, rotating driving means therefor, and connecting means for transforming the retative motion of the driving means to reciprocating motion in'the driven member in both fixed and variable ratio of driving means to driven member, said connecting means being directly responsive to and governed by pressure conditions in the pumping means, whereby the ratio of driving means to driven member is varied in accordance with varying pressure conditions in the pumping means caused by the actuation of the pumping means and the discharge conditions thereof. I a

This specification signed this 26th day of September, 1924. I

nonnar r. Ianrcaaan. 

